Dispensing device



July 31, 1928..

1,679,237 H. A. BIRNBAUM DISPENSING DEVICE 7 Filed June 25, 1927 2Sheets-Sh eet 1 lllll In ll! 2151 2 a 2 (1H6 up July 31, 1928.

I H. A. BIRNBAUM DISPENSING DEVICE Filed June 23, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 31 1928.

UNITED ST ATES PATENT OFFICE;

mm: A. mnnnnuu, or TnoY, new Yonx, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T ALAN 5.

003mm, or TROY, NEW YORK.

DISPENSING .DEYIGE.

Application filed June 23,

- material from the container at each operation.

An essential feature of the invention is to provide a container with areceiving and dispenslng trough or the like, which projects from theinner wall thereof, and has associated therewith a flap formed from thecontainer, said flap normally assuming a position in the same verticalplane as the wall and adapted when pressed inwardly, to provide adischarge opening for emptying the contents of the trough.

A further object of the invention consists in incorporating a pie-formedcollecting and dispensing device in the wall of a container, preferablyatthe time the container blank is being made into its desired shape, andwhich normally assumes a closed position substantially in the same planeas the wall from which it is cut. Coacting with the dispensingtrough,'isa flap member formed from the outer surface of the container, and havinga discharge opening adjacent to the trough and arranged to normally :liein substantially the same vertical plane as the wall of the container,-but adapted when depressed inwardly, to simultaneously cause the troughto be moved to its opened position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which is disclosed preferred embodimentsof the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container showing the inventionapplied thereto.

Figure 2 is a view substantially similar to Figure 1, showing thedispensing device in its operating position.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along theline 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectionalview taken substantially along the line 44 ofFigure 3.

1927. Serial No. 200,897.

Figure 5 is a plan view' of a blank from which the container is formed.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 6-6 ofFigure 5.

. Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 7-7 ofFigure ll Figure 8. is a sectional view taken substantially along theline 88 of Figure 2.

Figure 9 is a. detail side view of a blank from which a container isformed, showing a modified form. of the invention applied thereto.

Figure 10 is a view substantially similar to'Figure 9 with the blank inits folded-position. M

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts inthe various views, 10 denotes a container or receptacle made of anysuitable material such as cardboard, paper or the like, and of anydesired configuration, which for the purpose of illustration, has beenconventionally shown as substantially rectangular. The inner wall of thecontainer 10 adjacent one of the corner sections 11 is preferably scoredalong the diverging dot and dash lines 12 and respectively (Figure 1),and is cut or sl1t vertically along the curved line 14 so as to-providea separate section 15. (Figure 3) formed from the inner wall of thecontainer 10 and adapted when moved to its open position to provide atrough 15' for receiving a predetermined or measured quantlty of thematerial carried in the container.

The outer surface of the corner section 11 cient length to extend anappreciable dis tance within the trough 15' so that when the parts aremoved to .the opened position as shown in Figure 3, the flap 19 Wlllform an opening 20 with the adjacent wall. section immediately adjacentthemouth of the i of the container, to permit the material collected inthe trough 15- or emptied therefrom.

The scored lines 12 and 13 from which the trough is formed, as well asthe scored lines 16 and 17, which produces the flap 19, prefto bedischarged erably divide the area of the container within the said linesinto triangular portions so that when the parts are moyed to theiropenedposition, the trough will be of substantially conical shape and thelower end of the flap 19 will have a clearance or opening 19 formedbetween it and the adjacent wall of the trough 15 to permit the freedelivery of the material from the container to the trough.

As shown in Figure 5, the blank from which the container 10 may beformed, is of any suitable multiple-ply material and is provided withthe usual horizontal and vertical folding creases 22 and '23respectively, and the side and end flaps 241 and 25. The cut-out area oroutline of the collecting and dispensing device is preferably formed inthe container at the time the blank is being manufactured and may beeffectively accomplished by cutting the inner ply 26 vertically alongthe line 27 (Fig. (3) so as to separate the area 15 confined between thescored lines 12 and 13 from the remaining inner surface of thecontainer. Immediately after the ply 26 has been separated from the wallof the container,it will spring back to its normal position as shown inFigure 6 so as to lie in the same vertical plane as the side from whichit is cut. The blanks of the containers after they have been creased,scored and cut will assume a flat position so that they can beconveniently packed or shipped.

When the blank 10 as shown in Figure 5 is folded and the flaps 24 and 25cemented or otherwise secured together, the container will then assumethe position as shown in Figures 1 and 7. The trough 15 which is formedfrom the inner ply 26 will still assume a position in substantially thesame vertical plane as the sides of the wall from which it is cut, whilethe flap 19 which is produced from the outer wall of the blank by thescored lines 16 and 17 and the transverse slit 18 will also normallyassume a position in the same vertical plane as the -wall of thecontainer. However, when the flap 19 is pushed laterally or inwardly itwill form the discharge opening 20 and move the trough 15' to theposition as shown in Figures 3 and 8.

.It will be seen that the container 10 may be used for dispensingvarious kinds of articles, such as soap powder, sugar, coffee, tea,salt, cereals, drugs and other substances of a pulverized or granularnature. Moreover, the container instead of being formed frommultiple-ply material, may be of a single blank which is of sufficientthickness to permit the trough 15 and its associated parts to beproduced therefrom.

For cutting the blank to form the trough 15, a knife or other type oftool suitable for this purpose may be employed.

The operation of the device is as follows: The container 10, with itscontents, is delivered to the consumer in the shape as shown in Figure1, that is to say, with the dispensing device concealed and arranged insubstantially the same vertical plane as the parts of the wall fromwhich it is formed (Fig. 1). When it is desired to use the contents ofthe container, the flap 1G is pressed inwardly,thus causing the trough15 to be moved from its position as shown in Figure 7, to that disclosedin Figures 3 and 8. The container is first inverted, and then returnedto its normal position, during which time, a predetermined quantity ofthe material passes through the opening 19' (Fig. 4) and is collected inthe trough 15', whereby upon the container being tilted, the contents ofthe trough will be discharged through the opening .20 to any suitablepoint of delivery, and upon this operation being repeated, a freshsupply will be collected in the trough for delivery therefrom.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 9 and 10,the blank 28 of the containerhas secured to its inner wall adjacent thecorner section 29, a conical trough or chute 30 which may be fastenedthereto in any suitable manner. Additionally, a guide flap 31 is securedto the corner section 29 immediately adjacent the mouth of the trough,while the outer wall of the container is provided with av transversecurved slit or cut 32 shown in dotted lines in Figure 9, so as to form atriangular shaped flap 33 substantially similar to the flap 19 in Figure5. \Vhen the parts are in the position as shown in Figure 10, and it isdesired to discharge the contents of the container, the flap 33 ispushed inwardly to form an opening which communicates with the trough30, so that upon the container being inverted and returned to its normalposition, the contents collected in the trough can be dischargedtherefrom, thus insuring a predetermined quantity of the materialissuing from the container at each operation.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shownand described are merely illustrative of preferred embodiments, and thatsuch changes may be made as fall within the purview of one skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container of the class described having a trough provided with anopening associated with the inner wall thereof and arranged to receive acertain quantity of the material in said container, the wall of thecontainer contiguous the opening in said trough having a closure adaptedto be forced inwardly to form a communicating wall port with saidtrough, and provide a guide ing a corner section, a trough associatedwith the inner-face of said section, and arranged to receivea'certainquantity of the material in said container, the outer face ofsaid section having a normally closed cut-out portion adapted whenforced inwardly to form a communicating opening with said trough.

3. A container of the class described 'hav- I ing a corner section, atrough extending from the inner face of said section and having anopened top for receiving a predetermined quantity of the material insaid container, the sides of said corner section adjacent the top ofsaid trough having a closure adapted to be pressed inwardly to provideboth an exit opening and in association with the trough a passage foremptying the contents of said trough.

4. A container of the class described having a corner section, a troughextending from the inner wall of said section and having an opened topfor receiving a predetermined quantity of the material in saidcontainer, the sides of said corner section adjacent the top of saidtrough having a normally closed cut-out flap adapted when pushedinwardly to permit the flow of the material from the trough, said flapin its extended position acting as a guide for discharging the materialfrom the container.

5. A container of the class described having a section formed) with anormally closed trough arranged to extend from its inner face and anormally c osed cut-out flap adapted when pushed inwardly to move thetrough to its-open position and provide an opening for discharging thematerial from the container.

6. A container of the class described having a preformed measuringtrough in the so positioned relative to the trough that when it ispushed inwardly it will move the latter to its opened position andprovide an opening for discharging the material collected in the troughtherefrom.

I 7 A container of the class described having a corner section formedwith a normally sclosed trough arranged to extend from its inner face,and a normally closed cut-out flap, said flap being positioned adjacentthe top of said trough and adapted when pushed inwardly to move thetrough to its open position and to form an opening for delivering thematerial from the container, said flap in its extended position actingto conduct the material from the trough to and through said opening.

8. A new article of manufacture compris. 4

ing a container having a dispensing trough and a flap formed out of thewall thereof and normally in the same vertical plane as the wall, saidflap having an opening adjacent the top of the trough, and means wherebyupon the lateral displacement of the flap will cause the movement of thetrough to its opened position.

9. A new article of manufacture comprising a container. formed from theblank of a suitable multiple-ply material, said blank beingcut along oneof the plies to provide a measuring trougln'and having a flap with atransverse opening adjacent the top of the trough, said trough and flapnormally assuming a concealed position, and means for simultaneouslyopening the flap and trough upon pushing the latter inwardly.

10. A new article of manufacture comprising a container formed from ablank of mater al cut to provide a trough, and a flap in the wallthereof, said trough and flap normally being positioned in substantiallythe same vertical plane as the wall of theinner ply to form asubstantially triangular shaped flap, cutting the lower end of said flaptransversely to provide an opening communicating with the trough,folding and securing the blank into its proper shape whereby upon theflap being pushed inwardly it will cause the trough to assume its openposition, and upon inverting the container and returning it'to itsnormal position, will allow a predetermined quantity of the material tobe delivered from the trough.

12. The method of forming a measuring device in a container whichconsists in creasing a blank of multiple-ply material along definitehorizontal and vertical lines, scoring the inner ply adjacent one ofsaid vertical creases to provide a. substantially triangular verticallines, scormunicating with the trough, folding and setrough, said flapextending into the adjacent curing the blank into its proper shape endofthe trough to act as a closure there- 10 whereby upon the flap beingpushed infor when the material is being poured from wardly it will causethe trough to assume. the container.

its open position, and upon inverting the In testimony whereof I havehereunto set container and returning it to its normal pomy hand.

sition, will allow a predetermined quantity of the material to bedelivered from the HARRY A.BIRNBAUM.

